5 Years and Counting…
On September 7, 2005, Busboys and Poets at the corner of 14th and V Streets, NW, Washington, DC officiallyopened its doors to the general public! Believe it or not, Busboys and Poets has only been here for a little over 1,800 days. Then and now we are humbled and honored by the reception we receive from our supporters, patrons and friends. 
We sponsored a trip to West Africa. We joined with community members and celebrated the election (and inauguration) of the first African American President of these United States. We hosted dignitaries and freedom fighters such as Howard Zinn, Alice Walker, Amy Goodman and Cornell West (to name a few). We started Busboys and Poets Press – to publish works by important authors. We hosted literary giants like George Pelecanos, Marita Golden, Ethelbert Miller, Naomi Klein, and Octavia Butler. We became the sponsoring organization for the DC Slam Poetry team. We hosted poetic giants including: Dennis Brutus, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez and Martin Espada. We got V Street in North West Washington, re-named to LANGSTON HUGHES WAY. we have demonstrated a commitment to green initiatives including food sourcing using only fair trade coffees and teas, we converted our spaces to use 100% wind energy, we are rapidly moving to match our food sourcing with our values and have recently created a partnership with grayson farms–using free-range, all natural, hormone/antibiotic free beef.
We couldn’t have done any of these things without an amazing staff (hosts, servers, cooks, dishwashers, office staff, managers and YES…busboys) and the many people that grace us every day with their continued presence and support.
In the short five, we have added 2 new Busboys and Poets locations to the family (Shirlington Village in 2007 and 5th & K, NW in 2008). As we continue to expand we don’t ever want to forget our core values and our neighborhood focus. Therefore, we continue to work hard to ensure that all locations are welcoming and stay true to our commitment to social justice and peace – while serving good food at affordable prices.
With your help, our plans for the next five include new, exciting adventures and continued expansion (a Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, MD is currently under construction, and we are excited about possible opportunities in Harlem).
To show our appreciation for your support and patronage we have planned a week of (mostly) free events. Please come celebrate with us at any Busboys and Poets location between September 5th and 12th…
We couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks!
